Combined shipping case and display rack



Dec. 18, 1923. 'H;4&77,6341

M. H. CONNOR COMBINED SHIPPING CASE AND DISPLAY RACK Filed June 30, 1922 32 MA/Wf/A H. Co/v/vo/e ATTORNEY Fatented Dec. 318, i923,

FiCE.

MARTHA H. CONNOR, OF BALTIE'IORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOE TO THE TIN' DECORAT- INC-fr COMPANY OF BALTIMORE, OF BALTIMGR'E, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GOMEINEDVSHIPPING CASE AND DISPLAY RACK.

Application filed June 30,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, MARTHA H. GoNNoR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Combined Shipping Casesand Display Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined shipping case and display rack, and more particularly to a shipping case or container in which a commodity may be effectively packaged and which may be so formed as to be readily converted or shaped into a means for artistically and efficiently displaying the commodity for sale, and has special ref erence to the provision of a shipping case or container especially adapted for holding a row or set of books, the container being convertible for display purposes into a book rack.

The principal objects of the present in vention may be said to include the provision of shipping case or container convertible into a display rack providing a compartment open at two sides for effectively displaying a commodity such as a set of books, the further provision of a container and display rack of this nature provided with a plurality of movable Walls normally forming the top and side walls of the con tainer and movable to positions overlying or underlying fixed walls of the container for producing the display rack, the further provision of a device of this nature interchangeable from a container to a rack sup ported in inclined position to display the commodity in an attractive and artistic manner, the still further provision of a device of this nature made of sheet metal in which the movable walls are constructed to inter lock with the fixed walls ofthe container, the walls mutually reinforcing one another, and being so shaped and interrelated as to close all the container edge joints; and the further provision of a container and dis play rack of the nature referred to-which may be inexpensively produced and which may be made to servethe packaging and display purposes in an efficient manner.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other,

1922. Serial No. 572,006.

as hereinafter particularly described and sought to be defined in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show preferred embodiments of my invention and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the container and display rack showing the manner of using the same for displaying a commodity such as a set of books.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same showing the manner of opening the container.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same in closed condition.

Fig. 4- is a view taken in cross-section on the line 44, Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a modified form thereof.

As heretofore mentioned, a principal object of my present invention comprehends the provision of a container convertible into a display rack providing a compartment having two open sides for displaying a commodity such as a set or a row of books. To these ends, the invention includes the provision of a container having two fixed side walls, such for example as the front and bottom walls 10 and 11, and two fixed end walls such as 12 and 13, and a plurality'of movable side walls, such for example as the rear wall 14 and the top wall or cover 15, the said rear Wall and cover being movable from a closed position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings to an open position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, converting the container from a shipping case into a display rack having a two open sided compartment clearly shown in the drawings.

In the exemplified construction, the container is preferably made of sheet metal, the front and bottom walls 10 and 11 being preferably made from a single blank folded up to the desired configuration, each of'the end walls 12 and 13 being attached to the front and bottom walls 10 and 11 along two edges thereof such as 12, 12 and 13 and. 13 the said edges preferably comprising lock seam joints. To remove all rough or raw edges of the metal, the free .edges of the front and end walls are preferably inturned as shown for example at 10a and 13a.

In the preferred construction, the rear wall 14 and the top wall or cover 15 are attached together for relative movement,

.are arranged for movement relatively to the remaining or fixed walls of the container so as to permit movement of the'rear walll iabout the hinge 1.7 to a position underlying the bottom wall 11 as shown inFig. 1 of the drawings, with the top wall or cover movable into position underlying the front wall 10 of the container as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. With this construction, it will be seen that the container may be readily converted intoa display rack having two open sides or faces for conveniently exposing to view a row or set of books such as 18 with the title portion and the topo each book presented for display.

top wall or cover 15 is thus made movable Where, as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the width of therontainer is greater than the height thereof, the cover or lid 15 is formed into two sections such as a front section 15 and a rear section 15 as by means of the hinge construction 19. Since the section 15" is to overlie the front wall 10, the dimensions of the said section are made equal to the dimensions ,of the front or'rear wall 10 or 1 1; lVith this con struction the combined dimensions of the rear wall 1 1 and the rear section 15 of the cover are equal to the dimensions of the bottom wall 11, whereby the said rear wall and rea "section of the cover may be made to underlie the bottom wall 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

For the purpose of producing a display rack inwhich the set of books or other commodity forming the contents of the container may be displayed in an attractive and artistic manner, the movable walls are soshaped or contoured as to afford a display rack in which the set of books is supported' in an inclined display position. To these ends, the cover or lid, andmor'e specifically, the; fr on't section 15 of the cover, provided with the opposed side flanges" 20 and 21 of triangular configuration as shown, the

said flanges normally overlying the end walls of the container when the cover is in closedposition as shown in- Fig. the flanges forming feet or supportsfor supporting the container in inclined position when the cover is rotated into aposition underlyiilg the front wall 10 as shown in Fig.1 of the drawings.

For providing a container structure which the movable walls are inter-locked with the hired walls when the container is and sections are providedwith flanged portions arranged to overlie adjacent portions of the fixed walls of the container. To these ends, the top wall or cover 15 is provided with the front lip or flange 22 normally overlying and interlocking with thefront wall 10 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the said flange 22 forming a depending skirt when the cover is rotated to open position as shown in-Fig. 1. Similarly, the rear section of the top of the cover 15 is pro vided with the opposed lip portions 23 and 2st overlying and interlocking with the end walls '12 and 13 respectively. I In a similar manner, the rear wall 1 1 is provided with. the flanges 25 and 26 overlying the end walls 12 and 13 when the container is closed as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The interlocking flanges normally retain'the containerin closed position with all the'walls mutually reinforcing one another, this construction furthermore producing a container in which all the-edge joints are-clbsed To eliminate all rough or raw edges where the box is made of metal, the edges of theta-iangular flanges o1" flaps 24) and 21' as well as the edges of the overhanging" flanges or lips 22 to 26 are all int'urn'cd in a manner similar to the intu'rning ofthe edges ofthe fixed walls of-the container as clearly shown in the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings, I show a modification in which the width of the container is made equal to the height thereof, and with this construction the top or cover of the container is made in one section, as contra-distinguished from the form" shown in Figs. 1 to 4e,where'th'e'said cover is made in two sections; The construction shown in Fig. 5 includes the front wall30, the bottom wall; 31 preferablymade integral therewith, the end walls 32 and liiatta'ched to the front and bottom walls 30 and 31, a rear wall 34, and a top wall or cover 35', the said top wall being attached to the rear wall hy meansof the hinge 36, the rear wall being in turn a-ttached to the bottom wall 31 by means of the hinge 3'7, the constru'ctioi'iflbein suchthat the rear wall 34: is rotatable abo'ut' the said hinge 37 into a position underlying the-bottom wall 31', and the top wall or cover 35 is movable about the hinge 36 and about the bottom wall 31 into a position overlying the front wall 30'to produce the display rack. This form of container also may be provided with the flange and flap construction as is" the form of containers shown in Figs. 1' to 1. It willbe' apparent that where theh'eight of the case or'contain'er' is made greater or larger than the width of the same, the rear wall will be made into two sectio i's with the top wall formed into one section, this also yielding a constructionin which the top and rear walls'ma'y be moved to open positions underlying the fixed walls of the the books will be inserted with the heading or title of the title portion in a position to be exposed when the cover or lid is opened and with the heading or title nearest the rear wall of the container as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, this so that when the lid is opened for inspecting the books, the title will appear head up, and when the lid is rotated into position to produce the display rack, the title of the books will appear at the top. Packaging of the boolrs is facilitated by moving-the lid and rear wall to completely opened position after which the saidrear walland lid may be moved to closed condition as shown in Fig. of the drawings, with the flange and lip portions of the movable rear wall and lid .interlooking with the fixed walls of the container to effect an efficient shipping case. When the device is desired to be employed or used as a display rack for the books, the cover and rear wall are rotated to open position in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings with the movable walls rotated to undcrlie the fixed walls of the container, a display rack having a two open sided compartment being produced for exposing to view in an artistic and attractive manner the set of books which may for example be a small leather-bound set such as 18.

- While I have shown my device in the preferred forms, it will be obvious that many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims.

' I claim:

1. A combined ship-ping case and display rack, comprising acontainer having the rear wall thereof attached along one edge to the bottom wall thereof for movement about said edge to a position underlying the said bottom wall, and having a lid or cover attached along one edge for movement about the said rear wall to a position overlying the front wall of the container, whereby upon movement of the lid and rear walls to said positions a compartment open at two adjacent sides may be provided to effect a display rack.

2. A combined shipping case and display rack, comprising a container having a rear wall movable to a position underlying the bottom wall of the container and having a lid or top wall movable to a position underlying the front wall of the container,

whereby upon .iovement of the lid and the rear wall to open positions a display raelz having a. compartment open at two sides will be provided.

A combined shipping case and cisplay rack, comprising a container having a wall normally forming a wall of the cmitainer movable to a position underlying fixed wall of the container adjacent thereto and having a second wall normally forming different wall of the container movable to position underlying another fixed wall of the container, whereby upon movem nt of the said walls to open positions a c play rack having a compartment open at two sides will be provided.

d. A combined shipping case and display rack, comprising a container-having a wall movable to a position underlying a fixed wall of the container adjacent thereto and having a second wall movable to a position underlying another fixed wall of the container, one of the said movable walls being provided with angular side flanges whereby upon movement of the said walls to open positions a display rack having a coniparb ment open at two sides will be provided, the said angular flanges forming feet for supporting the display rack in inclined position.

5. A combined shipping case and display rack, comprising a container having a wall attached to an adjacent wall along an edge for movement about said edge to a position underlying said adjacent wall, and having a. third and different wall attached to said first mentioned wall for movement therewith and relatively thereto, whereby upon movement of the said walls to open positions a compartment open at two adjacent sides will be provided to effect a display rack.

6. A combined shipping case and display rack, comprising a container having fixed front, bottom and end walls, a rear wall at tached to the said bottom wall along an edge for movement thereabout to a position underlying the said bottom wall and having a lid. or cover attached to the said rear wall for movement thereabout and to a position overlying the front wall, whereby upon movement of the lid and rear wall to said positions compartment open at two adjacent sides will be provided to effect a display rack.

" A combined shipping case and display rack. comprising a container having a wall attached along one edge to an adjacent wall for rotation thereabout to a position underlying the said adjacent wall and having a lid or cover formed of front and rear sections, the front section being attached to the said rear section for rotation relatively thereto, and the said rear section being attached to the said first mentioned wall for rotation relatively thereto, the dimensions of the said front section being equal to the dimensions of the said first mentioned wall, whereby when the said lid and first mentioned wall are rotated to open positions compartment open at two adjacent sides will be provided to elfect a display rack.

8. A combined shipping case and display rack comprising a container having front, bottom'and end walls, a side wall attached along one edgeonly to the bottom wall of the container, and a lid or cover attached along one edge only to the said side wall, the side wall and lid being movable relatively to each other and relatively to the,

remaining" walls of the container. to effect a display rack open at two sides.

9. A combined shipping ease and display rack made of sheet metal including setup front, bottom and end walls, a rear wall hinged to the said bottom wall for movement thereabout to a position underlying the same and a cover or lid hinged for movement to a position overlying the front wall, move ment of the lid and rear wall to said positions effecting a display rack having a compartment open at two sides.

10. A combined shipping case and display rack, comprising a container having a movable rear wall and a lid attached to the said rear wall for movement relatively thereto, the said lid being provided with angular side flanges whereby upon movement of the rear wall and lid to open positions a dis play rack having a compartment open at two sides will be provided, the said angular flanges forming feet for supporting the display rack in inclined position.

11. A combined shipping case and display rack, comprising a container made of sheet metal and includin front, bottom and end walls, a rear wall hinged to the bottom wall anguler side fiangesoverlying the side walls of the container and adapted to form supports or feet when, the lid and rear walls are moved to said positions, the said lid being also provided with a front flange for overlying the front wall of the container. 12. A combined shipping case and display rack, comprising a container made of sheet metal and including front, bottom and end walls, a rear wall hinged tothe bottom wall for movement to a. position underlying the said bottom wall,- thesaid rear wall being provided with side flanges for overlying the edges of the end walls, and a. lid or cover hinged to the said rear Wall, the cover comprising hinged front and rear sections, the front section having dimensionsequal to those of the rear or front Wall, whereby the front section is movable to a position overlying the front Wall, the saidlid being provided with angular side flanges overlying the side walls of the container and adapted to form supports or feet when the lid and rear walls are moved to said positions, the said lid being also provided with a front flange. for overlying the front wall of the container.

Signedat Baltimore, in the State of Mary.- land, this 27th day of June, A. D. 1922. V

MARTHA H. coNNoR. 

